Patchwork Pumpkin Saison (Exp. No. 2)

This is the third Lasting Brass beer I’ve reviewed and I feel more comfortable doing so now. As a home brew operation, I waffled on how – or even if – I’d write reviews. Yes, the brewer (Ed Silva) is a friend. Yes, he gives all his beer away (he has too by law, sure, but he want to because he’s cooler than you.) Yes, it looks sketchy that I’ve loved everything he’s done far.

But you know what? I don’t care and I stand by these Lasting Brass Pages.

Because now we come to a pumpkin saison experiment. And that can’t possibly be good, so now please enjoy a negative review. I mean… pumpkin saison? Gross.

Lasting Brass Says:

Steve, would you like a bottle of this. Let me know what you think. Thanks.

Yeah, okay. I did feel a twinge guilty taking this bottle because the idea of it didn’t so much appeal to me. I don’t really like any pumpkin beers and less-than-excellent saisons really fall flat for me.

I had the pleasure of seeing this beer in the middle of its brewing process back at the LB homestead. Ed explained to me what he was doing at the time and I saw the cheesecloth bag of pumpkin bits sitting on the mash. I did smell good and I was intrigued.

I loved this beer. Damnit, Ed, when will you make something I don’t like? (Please don’t).

Smooth, subtle, wholly lacking in cornball “autumnal spices” or pie filling flavor, the vegetable essence was definitely there, but that was it. After all, who in the world would nutmeg up a saison? (I wish I didn’t have answer for that, but I have several).

What Ed and Lasting Brass does is what many other well-funded and fully staffed breweries try to do: turn existing brew styles on their heads or mix and match in ways that work really well. Somehow, Lasting Brass nails it.

Which got me thinking… Long time CTMQ readers know I’m a huge fan of anagrams and wordplay of various sorts. The name “Lasting Brass,” when “mixed up” and “matched together” differently works really well too. Much, much better than many other well-funded and fully staffed breweries.

To wit: Grabs Ass Lint. Right? Are there any other brewery names that anagram to something as charming as “grabs ass lint?” Ed has just started his first batch of what he hopes will be a series of sour beers. In a flash of brilliance, he has already named it the “Dirty Water Series” which I just love. (If you are unaware of local town slang names, Waterbury where Lasting Brass hails from is known as the “Dirty Water.”)

So I hereby suggest that the 1st beer from that series be named “Grabs Ass Lint.” Just because.

The second in the series? “Bra Snags Slit.” Eesh, that sound wicked painful for you women out there.

I could go on all night. But I won’t… so back to this unique beer which retains all the classic flavor profile of a true saison, but instead of the modern saison fruits and spices, the Patchwork provides subtle pumpkin flavor. It’s really kinda genius if you think about it.